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Other Do you use a case on your iPhone? [MERGED]

Do you use a case on your iPhone?

  • Yes

    Votes: 1,197 66.0%

  • Yes, but will be removing it

    Votes: 72 4.0%

  • No

    Votes: 396 21.8%

  • No, but will be getting one

    Votes: 14 0.8%

  • Sometimes

    Votes: 137 7.5%
  • Total voters
    1,815
I've noticed a contrast recently that somewhat intrigued me. First: as I noted earlier in this thread, I've been using cases for quite a few years. I tend to favor very cheap cases that I find on Amazon -- but I'm very particular about the exact type of case... I almost always favor the transparent silicon cases. And while I try to be careful, I've nonetheless dropped my iPhones plenty of times over the years, even on hardwood floors. Even so, since I started using a case and screen protector, I haven't had a single scratched or broken screen.*

Bu than there are my kids. They all likewise use cases -- probably mostly at my insistence. But two of my (adult) daughters in particular have also dropped their iPhones plenty... and both of them have broken their screens at some point recently. One of them actually broke her screen while it also had a screen protector on it... and when I happened to fumble and drop my own phone on the floor right in front of her just this past weekend -- but then picked it up to find not a scratch on it -- she protested quite vehemently: how come I can get away with that, while she ends up with a cracked screen?

So here's my best stab at answering that: I'm pretty sure both of my daughters chose their cases based mostly on aesthetics, whereas I've leaned into a specific type of material as my primary decision factor, one that I feel does a better job at protecting the phone. Of course, I recognize that this is entirely anecdotal... but I just can't help feeling that perhaps the type of case you choose is more important than most people realize -- in fact, maybe even more so than the price point.

* Don't worry... I'm sure Murphy's Law will catch up to me at some point, in spite of my case -- and it'll most likely be because I went and posted this comment.
 
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eyoungren said:
I get that…I've had to pay out of pocket roughly $200 for two replacements since 2012.

6+, I shattered the screen. Apple charged me $99 (no AC+) for a screen replacement, but gave me a brand new phone.

11 Pro Max. I shattered the front and back glass. Replacement was $99 under AC+.

No cases. I don't use them.

But $200 for two phones in 13 years. Works out to about $15.38 a year.

I'd argue there are case users who've damaged more phones in that amount of time and spent more in replacing them.
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Not just money but time spent getting an appointment, driving, waiting, picking it up. That's worth a lot of money and stress.
 
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Yr Blues said:
Not just money but time spent getting an appointment, driving, waiting, picking it up. That's worth a lot of money and stress.
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I would add as well that if you own a less popular model/capacity you may also have to wait for it to either be shipped to you or to the store. When I replaced my 11PM, I had to wait a week for the phone to ship to me. But, that was primarily because they didn't have the 512GB in-store. Fortunately, I was able to ride it out with my 6s+ for that week.
 
Indeed - have found two favorites: Spigen’s Tough Armor and Keyway’s Leather (Whiskey Brown) cases. Ordered the former for the 16 (base) I just got and at some point, I’m sure I’ll order the latter for it as well
 
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My 13 suffered another terrible fall (2nd in one week!) this time falling out of my pocket and awkwardly striking the pavement at the roadside causing the camera lens protector to shatter. Glad I had it on because I think the fall could’ve caused damage to the lenses/module. I removed what was left of the lens protector and everything appears as pristine as the day I got it. I have ordered a new lens protector which should arrive tomorrow.
 
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Spigen Thin Fit is still my favorite case in terms of grip and size. Sadly, the camera control button completely ruined the case. Such a useless button that ruined nearly every iPhone case on the market.
 
chugg said:
Spigen Thin Fit is still my favorite case in terms of grip and size. Sadly, the camera control button completely ruined the case. Such a useless button that ruined nearly every iPhone case on the market.
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Also, It's not MagSafe is it?
 
My 6 month experiment using an Apple FineWoven is over, it didn’t start fraying like many others did but the negatives I experienced were:

From day 1 the MagSafe circle from my bedside charger became permanently imprinted onto the fabric, the rear of the case slowly absorbed oils from my hands until you could perfectly see how I hold the one based on the imprint of my fingers on the back. I tried washing it gently with soapy warm water but it didn’t go away.

Felt very nice in the hand though I loved the fabric feel.
 
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SilverSpooned said:
For the life of me, I will never understand why some people don't use cases. It just means your phone is more vulnerable to damage.
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It does. Lifestyle plays a part. I work from home and get outside 1.5 to 2 hours each day on average. The danger to my phone in sitting on a desk in a business card holder for 14-16 hours is, I think, minimal. I don't have small children (anymore) and when I did, they were taught not to mess with my stuff and my wife's stuff.

We compensate by being mindful and aware of what we are doing with our device. Not having a case forces focus and a mindset of perceiving and proactively acting against any potential danger to your device.

It's a mental discipline that becomes second nature the longer you engage in it. Not many case users want to do that. It's partly why they get a case - so they don't have to.
 
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eyoungren said:
It does. So, we compensate by being mindful and aware of what we are doing with our device. Not having a case force focus and a mindset of perceiving potential danger to your device.

It's a mental discipline that becomes second nature the longer you engage in it. Not many case users want to engage in it. It's partly why they get a case - so they don't have to.
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Shouldn't that just be how anyone who owns a phone should act? Case or not, one should be mindful?

In the case of not having an iphone case (pun intended), what is the advantage of not having a case?
 
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SilverSpooned said:
Shouldn't that just be how anyone who owns a phone should act? Case or not, one should be mindful?
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It should. But, and I have confirmed this with many case users on this forum over the years, having a case means not having to think about things. Sure, plenty of case users are careful. I won't argue that. You seem to be one of them. But there seems to be a peace of mind there with case users that a slip up or momentary lapse is covered by the fact that there is a case on the device. Your guard can slip.

The other side of the spectrum is those who just do NOT care, ever. They will toss their phone around, leave it wherever and just do not think about it. Because that's what the case is for right? To compensate. To protect. So you don't have to think.

SilverSpooned said:
In the case of not having an iphone case (pun intended), what is the advantage of not having a case?
Click to expand...

Everyone who does not use a case has a different reason for why, so I can only answer for myself. Primarily I bought the phone because I like how the device looks and feels. A case gets in the way of that. Now, I'm not staring at my device all day, but I do appreciate how it feels in my hand when I use it and how it looks.

Second, there isn't anything in between me and the device. Third, there is also nothing that could potentially harbor debris or anything else that might scratch my phone over time. Of course, the quality of a case matters. You're not going to get the same performance from a $5 case that you'd get from an Otterbox. But still, you have a case between you and the phone.

I feel I've done fairly well though. I've had an iPhone since December 2011 and in 14 years I have only broken two phones bad enough to warrant replacement. I'd put that record up against many case users. And none of my phones have scratches, dents, scuffs or broken glass/bent metal.
 
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After 5 months of using a case on my 16PM, I’m back to being case-less.

I was looking at my 13 Pro that I used caseless for 3 years, and it actually held up better than I remembered. The only scratches were the front of the screen a few tiny scuffs on the bottom corners of the steel.

I wish I had known about Apple Express Replacement sooner tbh…it makes me more confident going case-less because prior to this knowledge I figured any major dents on the non-glass parts of the iPhone were permanent even with AC+
 
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So far I’m almost 1.5 months in using a skin vs a case and I definitely prefer a skin over the case. I prefer the non bulky feel of the phone without a case. Now I need to figure out what to do with the cases I have for my 15PM, because I do not plan on using them again, even if I keep my device for another year.
 
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A few months ago my iPhone 15 Pro suffered a nasty accident after smashing onto my driveway whilst washing my car. The back glass cracked and water got in (no AppleCare) 🙈

After using my old iPhone 8 for a few months, I was recently able to purchase a new iPhone 16e and have included AppleCare+ for £4.99 a month.

You’d think I’d have learnt but still much prefer using phones naked with only a screen protector in place. I did buy a case for it but hasn’t been in it yet! 😀
 

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RRC said:
The Fitbag sleeves are quite nice if that is what you're looking for...
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I came across these genuine leather sleeves crafted in Germany. 🇩🇪 They are made to order when you purchase them from their website.

You can use these sleeves with or without a thin case on your iPhone, depending on whether you want customisation or the specific design. You cannot use cases that are otter boxes or bulky dual layered ones with using the non fitted ones they offer, and the sleeve has to be the ones with extra room if you wish to use it with a case for extra peace of mind. I heard about them from an Apple Store employee who had one on his iPhone X, and it looked great.

Here’s the link to their website: https://www.fitbag.com/phone-sleeves
Here’s the link to Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/fitBAG-Tailored-Germany-Microfibre-Cleaning/dp/B0CHX621DC/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=2B4SCYZ6TW3Q3&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-PXlEH9oD2vH0osDTHJ51muV6Usa04y8G3BMkYAyuLWanbnuqse8fURdZ_id7nau82MNYjTWP5zp8xx5J0PG6q9Z6Yg1V9XxA8B8-iW_chkSLja-myhORYyuQ3CUMaUWRB1smvyAUWmuVN0COe_LpOQRwGdl4ydRjxk4FQZd0Z8NlADdIE5lZab5qhwKXzqHc-95uf8ihuxXpWw09ztJ5Q.QBMKaduWBqyYmwqdw_2oJ_0St8tCE9PNm_JS5bDWHGc&dib_tag=se&keywords=fitbag+iphone+15+pro&qid=1741811626&sprefix=fitbag,aps,218&sr=8-3
 
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